More Than Fine
by Garowyn
Summary: After hearing the story of the boy who became a legend in Mos Espa through an old friend, a hope that has been dormant for years, is reawakened when 9yrold Luke Skywalker realizes he is destined for something far greater than moisture farming.


**A/N: I don't own SW.**

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"Luke!"

The sound of his aunt's voice jerked him awake from his slumber. The youth groaned and rubbed at his eyes, not entirely happy about being waked early in the morning. Then again, it was only early to him since he'd stayed up pretty late playing with his toys in secret so that Beru wouldn't find out. The nine-year-old was supposed to be in bed at the standard bedtime for nine-year-olds but Luke was no ordinary nine-year-old. No of course not. Luke was the son of Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala Naberrie, two of the most infamous people in the galaxy even after one of them betrayed his Jedi ways and the other passed on.

But he didn't know that.

However, the fatigued boy had the blood of his father in him, of course, and naturally, he felt the need, the desire, the longing for adventure and danger. Typical of a Skywalker but Owen and Beru never let Luke run freely by himself for fear of becoming his father or just plain anxiety about his safety.

"Luke! Breakfast!" Came her call once more and Luke sat up, pushing the sheets back. Already the heat of Tatoo I and Tatoo II had filled the room, making it almost unbearably hot. The child sighed and headed for the kitchen. He would shower later. Right now, he was hungry.

"Good morning, Luke, honey." Beru smiled warmly at her nephew as he entered the small kitchen to cross through into the next small room. He sat at the table in there and waited impatiently for his meal. Beru came in with a plate and a glass of blue milk. "Here you go."

"Thanks Auntie." Luke replied and dug in happily. "This is really good!" He praised her and continued to wolf down his breakfast. He was sitting on the far end of the table on what would be the right side if you looked at the table from outside. It was his favorite place to sit and why? He didn't know. It just was.

As he ate, he thought about what he was to do today. His Uncle had mentioned something about visiting Mos Espa and picking up a few things. That was about the most exciting thing he was looking forward to. Not since a year ago when he was allowed to see the annual Boonta Eve Podrace. What an exciting time that had been!

But afterwards, things settled back into the old normal and boring routine. Frankly, Luke was sick and tired of it though not enough to complain. He knew he had a job to do and he did it without complaint. If it helped his Aunt and Uncle out, he did it. The boy had a big heart and the need to be a hero. Why, he remember two weeks ago when he stopped a brawl between two of his friends, Biggs and Lou, who had moved away a couple of days ago, to live off planet.

It was a rare thing indeed. When someone left the planet. Lou's family had always been more fortunate and wealthy than the other moisture farmers. It was rumoured they'd been saving for over twenty years, the whole family, so that they could buy a small place to live on another planet. Luke had heard that the planet was Naboo. Lou's older cousin was a pilot and had told them about the place and the available house.

Lucky was the very word that had echoed in his mind and out of his mouth. Why did everyone else but him, get to do exciting things? To go far away and explore? To leave the backwater planet of Tatooine...

It just wasn't fair! He longed for freedom and adventure! No, Luke Skywalker felt he was destined to live a boring and long life on the sand-filled planet, only a moisture farmer in the eyes of many. Up till now, he truly hadn't realized how bleak his future looked.

"Luke? Are you finished? We're leaving soon." Beru called from the kitchen. She was busy washing the used dishes and clearing everything off the counter.

"Almost!" Luke scooped the last bit of his breakfast into his open waiting mouth. "I need to get dressed!" He called out, leaving his plate on the table and rushed to the bathroom to take a very quick shower. Afterwards, he put on his usual white tunic and boots and began to make his way outside.

When he had reached the area where his Aunt and Uncle were waiting, the two suns were shining more brightly than they had ever before. The wind whipped at his tunic, blowing sand particles about his face. Just another forsaken day. "How long are we going to be in Mos Espa?" Young Luke asked his Uncle as they drove across the sandy landscape of Tatooine.

Owen did not answer for about a minute. Then, "Maybe a couple of hours. I've got to see a junk dealer about some parts." He answered, squinting against the sand and light. "You're going to be with your Aunt." He added after a moment.

"Okay." Luke was slightly disappointed but knew better than to argue with his uncle.

The minutes flew by and the small family found themselves in the town of Mos Espa. It was bustling with merchants and customers of all species. Most of them were of bad reputation and lowlifes. As much as he felt disgust, Luke also felt pity for some of them. There were a few trying to survive; a few trying to make a living, even if it meant being a slave. This irritated Luke slightly—he didn't like the idea of slavery and was grateful that he wasn't one or had been born into slavery. The boy was very fortunate, unlike his father before him.

"Come Luke." Beru put a hand on his shoulder as she held her basket made to hold certain purchases. The two walked down the wide path of hot sand, by-passing many humans and aliens. A lot of them paid no attention to them but Luke thought he saw a few cast rude looks at him and his aunt.

The boy glanced ahead and saw that they were approaching a fruit stand, set up in the shade next to what could be the owner's quarters. "Oh yes, I'll be needing some of those..." Beru murmured to herself as they neared the stand.

"Hello." The woman, Amee, who owned the stand, greeted them with a hint of a smile on her face. She was petite with long dirty blonde hair tied back rather messily. She wore a light brown and beige tunic and a long skirt. For a moment, she frowned a bit when she saw the nine-year-old boy who accompanied Beru Lars. He stood a little ways behind his aunt but still well under the little shade the stand and quarters offered.

Luke, who noticed the knit of her brow, felt uncomfortable and averted his gaze to the ground, suddenly finding the particles of sand most fascinating rather than the merchant and the fruit she had to sell.

Tearing her fixed look away from the boy, Amee faced the woman in front of her. "What would you like today?" Amee believed in being friendly no matter what, to customers. Who knows? It just might brighten someone's day. Fond memories...Amee remembered a young boy who had been her friend...he was polite and determined. His name had been Anakin Skywalker—one of the main reasons she found this boy so familiar. He was almost a mirror image of her old friend. Amee felt guilty that she and some of his friends had doubted his capabilities the day they saw him with his newly built podracer...the day she had first saw the strange people who had gathered around him...

Beru smiled at Amee and told her what she needed. After she was done, Amee turned to Luke and asked him a question that had been burning on her lips ever since they had set foot in front of her fruit stand. "Excuse me...sorry, but what is your name?" She asked, clearly catching the boy by surprise.

"Uh..." Luke looked at his aunt who nodded her approval. Not only that, there was a deep feeling inside of him that urged him, spoke to him. He felt like he could trust this woman; she appeared to be no threat. "Luke...Skywalker." He added.

The woman gasped, looking at him incredulously. Subsequently, Luke's eyes widened at her sudden action of surprise. He looked to his aunt questionably but she simply shrugged her shoulders, although Beru herself felt a bit surprised. Skywalker had become a well-known name in Mos Espa.

"I'm sorry!" Amee replied quickly, realizing her rudeness. "It's just...well, surely you've heard the stories."

Luke shook his head in response. "I don't think so..."

"You haven't?" Amee then broke into a friendly smile. "Guess I'll have to tell you. You don't mind, do you?" She looked to Beru.

Beru hesitated, wondering if Luke should know. Owen would not approve, especially if the name was mentioned. But then, it was basically too late to avoid the conversation in coming, and Luke was very curious. "Sure. Why not?" She said at last, smiling.

"Thank you." Amee turned to Luke. "Well, several years ago, the Boonta Eve was held. Many had come to participate but the most shocking of all was a young human boy who had been in the race before. He was for Tatooine and definitely showed some skill as a pilot but most did not think he could win. Even I thought he wouldn't be able to."

Luke was very interested now.

"His name was--"

Beru cleared her throat and smiled at the woman. "Anakin." She said quickly. "His name was Anakin."

Amee raised an eyebrow, confused, but took the hint. "Right. His name was Anakin and he had always dreamed of leaving Tatooine and freeing all the slaves. Anakin also wanted to fly a starship someday. Anyway, even though everyone doubted him, Anakin refused to give up and did his best in the race and what a race it was! At only nine-years-old--"

"Hey, that's my age!" Luke blurted out and then flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry." He apologized for his outburst.

Amee chuckled. "That's okay. Anakin was able to win the Boonta Eve, defeating Sebulba, the champion! And that's quite a feat. Sebulba always had dirty tricks up his sleeves to win but nobody cared." She sighed at this, remembering the gruelling moments during the podrace.

"Humph." Luke already did not like Sebulba. "So he won?"

"That's right. Later on," Amee's expression saddened slightly. "He left the planet with a strange man, having been freed of slavery. Nobody's seen him since but I have no doubt he is still out there, probably flying a starship around, or saving people. You look like him..." Her voice trailed off.

Luke smiled for seemingly the first time. "I want to be just like him!"

"What do you say, Luke?" Beru reminded him with a gentle but firm tone and nudged him a bit.

"Oh, thanks for telling me the story." Luke thanked the merchant.

"You are most welcome." Amee sat down on her chair. "I suppose you two have to get going." She waved her hand as the two walked away, both thanking her once more.

"I liked that story. And it's true too!" Luke had no doubts about it—if a nine-year-old slave boy could do accomplish something like that, than he could to. Probably not the same achievements as the boy, Anakin, but perhaps something just as great.

"As long as you don't enter the Boonta Eve." Beru chided him with a smile. "Your Uncle and I would be worried sick!"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Auntie..."

The two continued on to the meeting place where Owen was waiting beside their speeder. As they flew back to the homestead, Luke's mind kept wondering back to the story of Anakin. Whenever he thought about Anakin, a warm feeling welled up inside of him, giving him hope and encouragement. 'Maybe I can become a pilot like him! Or maybe a...a Jedi Knight!' Luke had heard of the Jedi Knights through an old man, whom his Uncle considered crazy, that lived not too far from them. 'Maybe I'll go visit him again...'

That night, Luke tried to picture what Anakin might've looked like. Obviously he had not heard Amee's last comment. Luke leaned back on his pillow, feeling quite happy. Perhaps he too was destined for something other than a moisture farmer. In truth, he found the whole thing, moisture farming, rather boring. He needed adventure! Excitement!

A smile was on his face as he drifted into a deep sleep, most likely dreaming of the boy who won that Boonta Eve Podrace so many years ago.

And for some reason, he couldn't help but feel connected to the young boy...


End file.
